1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to motion picture files, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for reproducing motion picture files.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a reproducing apparatus for motion picture file reproduces a motion picture file from its beginning according to a reproduction request for the motion picture file. When a user then wants to reproduce a motion picture file from a specified section thereof other than from its beginning, the user's reproduction request must search for a start point of the specified section using a fast forward and a fast rewind, which are seek functions, or otherwise through selecting a point that is guessed to be a start point using a scroll bar that indicates a reproduction point of a motion picture file. When seeking for a specified section in a motion picture file, a user can hardly find the precise point at one time, so that there is inconvenience in that a seeking operation has to be repeated several times. Furthermore, although the specified section of the motion picture file that a user wants to reproduce is a section that had been previously reproduced through searching, reproduction information on the specified section is not particularly stored so that the user has no choice but to inconveniently and repeatedly take an action that is related to the search of a start point.
Due to such problems, there has been developed a function in which only a specified section of a motion picture file is separately recorded using a separate editing function of a motion picture file to thereby create and store a new motion picture file. However, in this case, since memory usage is increased as the new motion picture file is created, particularly for a portable reproducing apparatus that has a small available memory capacity, excess memory space is required. In addition, since such a portable reproducing apparatus in general has other functions, such as mobile communication, than a reproducing function of a motion picture file, it needs a method capable of reproducing a motion picture file in association with the other functions, without simply reproducing the motion picture file.
On the other hand, a reproducing apparatus of a motion picture file provides, as a preview image, a certain frame included in the motion picture file, in addition to a file name of the motion picture file, as guide information regarding the stored motion picture file. However, since the image of the first frame of the motion picture file is generally provided as the preview image, a user has to inconveniently and directly reproduce the motion picture file in order to find, in the motion picture file, the contents that the user wants to reproduce. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a method capable of setting a desired frame as preview image.